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You're right about the opinions, though. My husband and I were in a cafe at the opera in Stockholm in 2006. When the Swedish gentleman next to us heard our American accents, his opening line of conversation to us was, "When are you Americans going to DO something about your president?" in a very cold tone of voice.

I didn't want to get his hopes up about rifles and scopes, so I just smiled and said, "We have an election coming up in two years."

My cousin from Slovenia visited in the summer of 2001. He told me, immediately after another cousin introduced us, "I hate your president". I told him "Go ahead, I didn't vote for him". He went off on a rampage about the electoral college and all. I told him "It's better than whatever your country had until about 5 years ago". As he was no fan of Tito, that shut him up.

Igor's thing was the Kyoto treaty. My mom went to visit him a couple of years ago, and he was even angrier with Bush, because of the invasion of Iraq. Slovenia is kind of isolated from the rest of the former Yugoslavia, because it is mostly in the alps, plus, Yugoslavia was probably the one place where communism continued the established middle class. Tito never signed the Warsaw Pact, and didn't allow the USSR to define communism for him. Not that he was a great guy or anything, but he wasn't as hardline as the soviets were. When Igor's sister pissed them off, they asked her to leave the country. They didn't ship her off to some labor camp in frozen hell.

And I would not kowtow to some uncultured prick at an opera either or any other place. Intimidation works; people should try it now and then. BTW, if you do not think the jerk was putting down your country, you are a fool.

I see you're in one of your moods today. I had no interest in indulging in the behavior you describe, which makes others in the world see us as buffoons. You are undoubtedly personally familiar with the term "Ugly American."
After that comment, the political subject was closed and we went on to have a very pleasant conversation over dinner.

"Today, [the American voter] chooses his rulers as he buys bootleg whiskey, never knowing precisely what he is getting, only certain that it is not what it pretends to be." - H.L. Mencken

I see you're in one of your moods today. I had no interest in indulging in the behavior you describe, which makes others in the world see us as buffoons. You are undoubtedly personally familiar with the term "Ugly American."
After that comment, the political subject was closed and we went on to have a very pleasant conversation over dinner.

Anyone making a derogatory remark against my country is an ugly Foreigner in my opinion. I guess you are too stupid to understand that concept. Like I said, your husband must be a wimp and you must wear the pants. I have no intention of spending my money in a foreign country to get insulted by some crude asshole. That's just me though. I have respect for foreigners that come to this country and treat them accordingly. So you can stick your ugly American where the sun don't shine. BTW, I am in one of my better moods today and with my daily dosage of fiber my pipes have been cleaned out.

Anyone making a derogatory remark against my country is an ugly Foreigner in my opinion. I guess you are too stupid to understand that concept. Like I said, your husband must be a wimp and you must wear the pants. I have no intention of spending my money in a foreign country to get insulted by some crude asshole. That's just me though. I have respect for foreigners that come to this country and treat them accordingly. So you can stick your ugly American where the sun don't shine. BTW, I am in one of my better moods today and with my daily dosage of fiber my pipes have been cleaned out.

I have lived in Sweden and Swedes do have a remarkable bluntness in some social situations. They also have a complex of laws regarding public behavior that have not one thing to do with American law.

Getting up in a Swede's face in a bar or on the street would be kind of pointless. He would instantly alert the police who have absolutely nothing better to do than question passport holders and babysit drunks. This would be the highlight of any Swedish cop's day - maybe his week. You would be questioned, served coffee, and then forced to fill out hours of tedious paperwork while listening to the staff make jokes about you in Swedish. Then you'd be escorted to your hotel and the police would have a word with the manager.

It wouldn't be worth it just to hassle some old dude who didn't like Bush. ;)

I have lived in Sweden and Swedes do have a remarkable bluntness in some social situations. They also have a complex of laws regarding public behavior that have not one thing to do with American law.

Getting up in a Swede's face in a bar or on the street would be kind of pointless. He would instantly alert the police who have absolutely nothing better to do than question passport holders and babysit drunks. This would be the highlight of any Swedish cop's day - maybe his week. You would be questioned, served coffee, and then forced to fill out hours of tedious paperwork while listening to the staff make jokes about you in Swedish. Then you'd be escorted to your hotel and the police would have a word with the manager.

It wouldn't be worth it just to hassle some old dude who didn't like Bush. ;)

Since I don't go to bars anymore, that would not be a problem. However, this incident happened in an opera house. Furthermore, I did not say I would start a fight. Like I said, I have never kowtowed to anyone. If telling some uncultured opera prick to mind his own business is going to start a ruckus so be it.

BTW, if I believed that the police have this type of attitude toward Americans, I WOULD NOT GO TO THIS FUCKED UP COUNTRY. Consequently, the low life cops would not ever have that privilege.

Since I don't go to bars anymore, that would not be a problem. However, this incident happened in an opera house.

No. It happened in the cafe attached to the opera house, which is also a bar (hence my statement, "My husband and I were in a cafe at the opera in Stockholm") . You can eat dinner at the bar; that's the only kind of table there is in the place.

"Today, [the American voter] chooses his rulers as he buys bootleg whiskey, never knowing precisely what he is getting, only certain that it is not what it pretends to be." - H.L. Mencken

BTW, if I believed that the police have this type of attitude toward Americans, I WOULD NOT GO TO THIS FUCKED UP COUNTRY. Consequently, the low life cops would not ever have that privilege.

LOL! Most Nordic countries don't have a particularly elevated view of the United States. You have to understand that Sweden (and the others) are very small countries with a very, very inflated view of social justice. Up until the past 20 years or so, no Scandinavian country had any experience at all with other cultures. This intellectual isolation allowed them to form views of other cultures that were never tested.

Up until the past 20 years or so, no Scandinavian country had any experience at all with other cultures. This intellectual isolation allowed them to form views of other cultures that were never tested.

Much as a poster on this thread has done. :p

"Today, [the American voter] chooses his rulers as he buys bootleg whiskey, never knowing precisely what he is getting, only certain that it is not what it pretends to be." - H.L. Mencken